REGION OF TUSCANY – INVESTMENT PROTOCOLS

1 Scope and objectives
The Region of Tuscany uses the “Investment Protocols” to facilitate the implementation of major investment projects for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and large enterprises.
Specifically, through concessions provided as equipment grants, the Region of Tuscany enables sustainable growth, qualification of the regional productive fabric and industrialisation processes, by implementing strategically significant industrial development programmes with innovative content, of a significant size and able to create additional employment. Intervention is implemented with a negotiated procedure aimed at reaching agreements between the Region and private and/or public parties.
The project can also be supported with a subsidised loan where applicable and/or granting of the guarantee within the limits for cumulation provided for in this announcement.

Intervention is implemented under Commission Reg. (EU) no. 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty published in the OJEU L. 187 of 26 June 2014.

The announcement is also issued in compliance with the guidelines adopted by the Regional Council with decision no. 1145/2014 pursuant to Regional Council decision no. 4 of 7 April 2014.

The subsidised investment should be made and localised in the Region of Tuscany.

2 Financial endowment
The financial endowment available for concessions provided as equipment grants is equal to € 2,930,253.00 on the 2014 Budget.
With subsequent appropriate measures, further resources shall be allocated on the regional Budget, in order to increase the effectiveness of the financial aid, in compliance with the characteristics and scope of the aid described in this Announcement.

3 Beneficiaries
The following can submit an expression of interest:

a) large enterprises;

b) micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME);

c) associate enterprises structured as set out below:

– consortiums pursuant to the provisions of article 2602 et seq. of the Italian Civil Code, with a duration of at least five years;

– corporate networks under Italian Law no. 33 of 9 April 2009, article 3, paragraph 4-ter and subsequent amendments and additions in whatever form they were constituted.

The investments should be made by industrial enterprises, i.e. by companies operating in industry and services sector activities, B, C, D, E, F, H, J, M, N, R of the ATECO ISTAT 2007 classification of economic activities, without prejudice to the restrictions under the Community guidelines on sensitive sectors and Regional Council Resolution no. 643/2014.

4 Interventions eligible for funding and eligible projects
The IPs should include the following investment programmes, pursuant to the general block exemption Regulation (Commission Reg. (EU) no. 651/2014 of 17 June 2014):
a) industrial research and experimental development, pursuant to article 25 of Reg. (EU) no. 651/2014 (recipients of the aid: both LEs and SMEs);
b) tangible and intangible investments for the setting up of a new investment or the extension of an existing establishment pursuant to article 28 of Reg. (EU) no. 651/2014 (recipients of the aid: SMEs only. LEs only for new investments for new economic activities and only if located in the areas set forth under article 107, para. 3, letter c) of the TFEU, pursuant to article 14 Reg. (EU) no. 651/2014)).
c) tangible and intangible investments for the construction or upgrade of private research infrastructures pursuant to article 26 of Reg. (EU) no. 651/2014 (recipients of the aid: both LEs and SMEs).

The interventions should consist of:
1. investments in
1.1) new local units;
1.2) local units already existing in the regional territory;
1.3) construction or upgrade or private research infrastructures, including jointly with research entities (pursuant to article 26 of Reg. EU no. 651/2014);
2. investments as part of reindustrialisation programmes in areas with a situation of complex crisis recognised by state or regional measures;
3. investments by enterprises with registered offices in Tuscany, whose membership is made up by at least 70% by former employees of failing companies who took advantage of entrepreneurship aid consisting in an advance of wage subsidies granted to them and not yet used set forth in Italian Laws 223/1991 and 102/2009, as well as of regional start-up aid under Regional Law 35/2000 or from regional operational programmes co-financed by the structural funds.